Monday, May 11, 2009

The Fibonacci sequence w/pics after the jump

Leonardo of Pisa gave us another interesting, if less known gift of mathematics. If you have never heard of the Fibonacci sequence, don’t worry. To be honest, the sequence sees little publicity these days outside of a Dan Brown novel and the occasionally nerdy conversation which may or may not involve warp core propulsion mechanics. However, the Fibonacci sequence is an amazing bit of numbers that ties nature and mathematics together in surprising ways. From deep sea creatures to flowers to the make-up of your own body, Fibonacci is everywhere.

The Fibonacci sequence starts with the number 1. Each additional number is the sum of the two numbers preceding it. For example 1+0=1, 1+1=2, 2+1=3, 3+2=5, 5+3=8 and so on. At first glance, this series might look like the idle musings of a bored person before Tivo was invented, but it goes much further than that. Pause whatever live broadcast you’re watching and take a look at the following examples.